1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to integrated computer modules and, more specifically, to an integrated computer module that contains the computing system components that are most prone to obsolescence and often suitable for simultaneous replacement, including a CPU, main memory, a disk drive and a video controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today""s personal computers (PC""s) are usually sold in a desktop configuration or a notebook configuration. Desktop PC""s are generally housed in a relatively large chassis containing a main printed circuit board or xe2x80x9cmotherboardxe2x80x9d and other components that are incorporated into or connected to the motherboard. The components may be located inside or outside of the chassis. Typical internal components include a power supply, a central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), a mass storage device such as a magnetic disk drive, expansion cards connected to a bus on the motherboard, and various peripherals mounted on xe2x80x9crailsxe2x80x9d in xe2x80x9cbaysxe2x80x9d within the chassis and electrically connected to the motherboard or an associated expansion card by a ribbon cable or the like. Typical expansion cards are a SCSI adapter, a sound adapter, and a network adapter. Typical bay-mounted peripherals are a magnetic disk drive, a floppy drive, a tape drive or a CD-ROM drive. Typical external xe2x80x9cperipheralsxe2x80x9d include user input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a joystick, a graphics tablet or a scanner and user output devices such as speakers a printer, and a video display device (e.g. a CRT display or an LCD display). The video adapter that controls the display, as with other adapters, may be integrated into the motherboard or provided on a separate expansion card.
The users of desktop PC""s may be divided into two divergent groups: (1) experienced users who understand the individual components and tend to frequently upgrade their PC""s by replacing such components, and (2) new users who do not understand or even want to understand the individual components. The latter group may prefer to replace the entire PC, if they upgrade at all. With respect to both groups, however, it has been observed that the need or desire to upgrade occurs far sooner with respect to some components than with respect to other components. In particular, users more frequently upgrade the CPU, the RAM, the magnetic disk drive, and the video adapter. These upgrades tend to provide more capacity and more speed because of rapid technological advancements on the part of manufacturers in response to ever-increasing demands from ever more complicated and more graphics intensive software applications and an associated increase in file sizes. Both user-types less frequently need or desire to upgrade the monitor, the speakers, the keyboard or the power supply, however, because these latter components have withstood the test of time and employ technologies that are less prone to obsolescence.
These inventors expect that the computer paradigm will move from a large chassis full of individual components of different manufacture toward a readily upgraded system consisting of two primary components: (1) an integrated computer module that compactly houses the frequently upgraded components (e.g. the CPU, the memory, the disk drive, and the video adapter) and provides a module connector for interfacing the module""s electronics with peripherals, and (2) a xe2x80x9chost assemblyxe2x80x9d with a docking bay that receives the module and provides a host connector that mates with the module connector. The host assembly can comprise any xe2x80x9cshellxe2x80x9d that includes the bay that receives the integrated computer module. The docking bay may be in a host assembly that doubles as a peripheral or in an intermediate assembly that is connected to conventional peripherals. The host assembly, for example, may function and appear generally like a conventional CRT display, save for the addition of the docking bay. A CRT-like host assembly of this nature would also provide a first connector for receiving input from a keyboard and, in all likelihood, a second connector for receiving input from a mouse. As another example, the host assembly may appear like a conventional tower chassis that contains a docking bay for receiving the module, and suitable electronics (e.g. a printed circuit board or PCB, cables, and so on) to interface the integrated computer module to conventional expansion cards via an expansion bus, and to conventional peripherals like a display, a keyboard, and a mouse, via connector ports built-in to the host assembly or carried by an expansion card.
There are a number of challenges associated with packing computer components and storage capability into a small integrated computer module. One such challenge is maintaining safe operating temperatures given a microprocessor and other components that dissipate relatively high levels of power. Another challenge for designing and building such modules is providing adequate shock protection for sensitive structures like disk drives. Still another challenge is providing an arrangement of components which allows for cost effective manufacturing processes. Yet another challenge is making sure the module is not abruptly removed from the host assembly during data-critical operations.
Computer modules and associated bays have already been proposed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,742 that issued in 1995 to Kobayashi, assigned to Hitachi, the inventor discloses a xe2x80x9cpersonal processor modulexe2x80x9d (PPM) that fits within a notebook type docking station or a desktop type docking station, or simply attaches to a docking housing 6 that is cabled to a keyboard and a monitor. (See FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, however, the ""742 Patent discloses a PPM 2 which communicates with a docking station 3 via a pair of physical connectors 22, 24 that connect a local bus 20 in the PPM 2 with a local bus 33 in the docking station 3. As shown, therefore, the graphical adapter 48 is necessarily provided in the docking station 3 rather than the PPM 2.
As noted above, the user often needs or desires to upgrade the video controller at the same time that the user upgrades the CPU, the memory, and the disk drive. If the user of a PPM constructed according to the ""742 patent upgraded to a newer PPM, however, the user would have to continue using the older graphical adapter 48, unless the user went to the trouble and inconvenience of separately updating the graphical adapter 48 or replacing the docking station 3 altogether.
There remains a need, therefore, for an integrated computer module that contains the computing subsystem components that are most prone to obsolescence and often suitable for simultaneous replacement.
In a first aspect, the invention may be regarded as an integrated computer module (ICM) for connection to a host connector means in a host assembly, the host assembly containing a DC power supply with DC voltage therefrom coupled to the host connector means, the host assembly connected to or containing a display, the ICM comprising: a computing subsystem operable solely when connected to the host assembly, the computing subsystem further comprising: a microprocessor; a hard disk drive for storing an operating system; means for supporting a main memory array; means for transferring at least a portion of the operating system to the main memory array; means for coupling the microprocessor to the main memory array for executing the operating system; means for storing digital display descriptor data in a video memory array; and a video controller for converting the digital display descriptor data to a time-based display data stream suitable for driving the display; module connector means for connecting to the host connector means, the module connector including first conductors for coupling the time-based display data stream to the display via the host connector means; second conductors for receiving the DC voltage from the DC voltage supply in the host assembly via the host connector means to power the computing subsystem; and third conductors for exchanging data with an I/O device via the host connector means; an EMI enclosure for containing emissions from the computing subsystem; and a fan powered by the DC voltage received via the host connector means for providing airflow to maintain the microprocessor within specified thermal limits.